Pages

Friday, August 22, 2014

By Mary Wilson

With the Grandview community embracing their new parks and
showing their appreciation at the polls on August 5 with the passage of more
no-tax-increase parks bonds, the excitement of what’s already been completed
has received attention from neighboring cities. With an uptick in usage from
Grandview residents, as well as the metro area as a whole, Grandview Parks and
Recreation staff has also seen an increase in complaints.

“We are seeing a tremendous increase in park usage across
the city,” said Parks and Recreation Director Eric Lucas. “With that increase,
we are also seeing and hearing concerns from citizens regarding park usage
after dark.”

The complaints have been from concerns stemming from
Meadowmere, Mapleview and Valley Parks. Previously, city ordinance allowed for
park usage between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. daily.

“The current ordinance makes it difficult for our police
department to enforce the ordinance because if it’s 9:00 and dark outside,
people are legally allowed to use the parks,” said Lucas. “Given that most of
our parks are in neighborhoods, and the fact that not much good comes from
activities after dark, we believe that the park hours need to be modified.”

Lucas discussed possible scenarios with staff and also
gathered information from other area ordinances to determine what the
best-case-scenario would be for Grandview. Ultimately, the Board of Aldermen
voted to unanimously approve a new ordinance regarding park usage hours at the
Tuesday, August 12 meeting.

Effective immediately, the ordinance now states that it is
unlawful for any person to be on or in the premises, boundaries or facilities
of any park or park facility between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from
April 1 to October 31, and between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from November 1 to
March 31. An exception would be made for those participating in a scheduled,
supervised program of the city’s parks and recreation department or with
written permission from Lucas. Those breaking the ordinance could face a fine
of up to $100, or face up to 90 days jail time.

“The police department preferred a scenario with set hours
because it keeps things much cleaner for them and eliminates interpretation,”
said Lucas.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Following Tuesday’s election, some races are over, while others are just beginning.

The primary sets in place candidates from each party who will be facing off in November. Below is a listing of the unofficial ballot results for local races with opponents, as well as the outcome of state and local amendments and questions.

This Week's JC Advocate

This web site features stories and photos from our print edition. For full coverage, subscribe to our online or print editions. Click the "subscribe" link at the top of the page for more details.

Search the Advocate...

Comments Policy

The Advocate is happy to include reader comments on this web site. However, we cannot post "Anonymous" comments. If you wish anyone to see your comments, please include your name and phone number for verification purposes. This information will not be shared with the public, but will be used by Advocate staff to determine that you are the writer of the comment. Thanks so much!